The Origin of Surfing

Early Hawaiian Surfboards

 Surfing was first dicovered in 1769 in Polynesia. Joseph Banks first described the popular sport on the HMS Endeavour during the third voyage of Captain James Cook. Surfing was a big part of the hierarchy in this culture with the best boards and beaches belonging to the rich and the more average boards and beaches belonging to the 'commoners' but could achieve a higher status if they were exceptionally talented on their worse boards.

 
But Polynesians were not necessarily the first people to surf. Samoans were also recorded to surf flat boards and canoes. They referred to the sport as fa'ase'e or se'egalu.

 
Surfing has been around for many many years, in my mind much longer before it was first recorded. But it has come a long long way from wooden and reed boards to fiberglass and foam boards with many different types, styles, lengths and designs to suit the weather conditions and wave sizes. More science and technicalities have gone into it as the years have gone on leading us to have smooth sleek surfboard designs.